The problem of cleaning components which have been contaminated with hydrocarbon products such as crude petroleum and petroleum derived materials is well known in the art. These materials are typically characterized as a complex mixture of straight chain and branched alkanes or alkenes, saturated ring compounds and aromatic compounds. The petroleum products are also known to contain small amounts of sulfur, nitrogen or oxygen which can be attached to the hydrocarbon chains. The hydrocarbon products can include gasoline, kerosene, burner fuel oil, diesel oil, gas turbine oil, lubricating oils, hydrocarbon greases, etc.
The hydrocarbons are frequently present on parts utilized in industrial machines as well as automotive parts and the like. These parts may need cleaning and/or repair. In the past, a number of different approaches have been utilized including the use of absorption media, disbursal by detergents, burning of the hydrocarbons, microbial degradation, separating the hydrocarbon product on water, and utilizing organic chemicals to dissolves and disperse the oil.
As is presently well recognized, one must control the environmental damage due to hydrocarbon contamination. The previous methods of disposing of the contaminants in a landfill are now unacceptable.
A preferred procedure for reducing the amount of hydrogen contamination in the environment is the use of bioremediation. Bioremediation relies on the hydrocarbon-degrading abilities of materials such as bacteria, enzymes and the like. The hydrocarbon material is normally associated with an aqueous mixture and hydrocarbon degrading materials can then be added to the mixture. The continued proliferation of hydrocarbon-degrading micro-organisms can be encouraged by providing optimal conditions for the growth and reproduction thereof.